Where to Eat in NYC for Solo Travelers (+Dessert)
I was reminiscing about my work trip to NYC back in January when I realized most of the places I had visited were perfect for solo travelers. It wasn’t planned; I didn’t have much time to do much research on places to eat and I also didn’t know in advance which night(s) we would be going out together as a team. Work provides breakfast and lunch, so this left dinner as the only meal of the day where I could roam the city. It was FREEZING the week I was there (although it wasn’t snowing yet, whew), so the places I ended up dining at were within walking distance to my hotel.
What prompted me to write this post was the fact that each of the places I name below (aside from dessert) had counter seating. It’s not something that’s very common in the Bay Area outside of omaskase experiences, but as I was dining alone, this was something I really appreciated. It could be the fact that I’m facing an empty seat across from me, but sitting alone at a table makes me feel lonely, whereas when I’m sitting at a counter, I’m able to look at or talk to someone if I want to.
Tonchin
I arrived at JFK and hopped in my rideshare to get to my hotel. While in the car, I took the opportunity to research dinner. It was still early (3:30pm Eastern Time), but time was on my side. Tonchin came up in my search for ramen near my hotel and came across Tonchin. I excited to see that it was on the NYC Michelin Bib Gourmand list. I set out for the restaurant at 5pm in the hopes that it would be early enough to beat the dinner rush; I wanted to get back to the hotel early to settle in for the evening anyway since I would have to get up early for work the next morning. My timing was perfect and I got a counter seat where I got to watch the bartenders make drinks; the kitchen is located in the back.
Tonchin is the NY outlet of a chain based in Tokyo. The chain is family-owned and two brothers led the effort to open the Midtown NYC location. I wanted to get the chicken wings, but my appetite wasn’t there (*cries*) despite my one-mile walk to the restaurant; it was only 2:30pm Pacific Time and I was eating dinner. They only have four ramen options here. I went with the Tokyo Tonkotsu: homemade noodles, tokyo tonkotsu broth, roasted pork, egg, scallion, menma, seaweed. Since I’d only be visiting once, I figured I should try the classic broth despite half of me really wanting to try the Smoked Dashi. The broth was so thick and creamy, and the pork was so tender! I definitely want to come back on another trip, hopefully with a friend so I can also try the Toyko kakigori for dessert.
Ootoya
Ootoya caught my eye as I was looking for my next dinner due to their specialty: teishoku, traditional home cooking where your meal is served as a set that includes a main dish and sides (soup, salad, etc). The Chelsea location was surprisingly large. The hostess walked me through the first space towards the back where there were more tables, counter seats, and stairs leading to a second floor loft space with additional tables. I sat at the counter since I was dining alone; there’s no view to any action (the kitchen is behind the door), but you sit with other diners.
I perused the menu, which was quite extensive with options from yakitori to sushi, cooked meats, bento boxes, and udon. I was craving some sashimi, so I went with a small kaisen don (rice bowl topped with chef’s selection of sashimi), mini tororo cold soba (cold soba noodles topped with Japanese grated yam served with a special sauce), and a side of chawanmushi (homemade egg custard). When my food came, I could tell they cared about the aesthetics of plating. The chawanmushi bowl was dainty and even had a lid. The soba plating surprised and baffled me a bit — I was scared I was going to make a mess as I poured some of the sauce on top and dug into the noodles (I managed not to).
Tip: try the soba here. The buckwheat is sourced from Hokkaido and they make the noodles fresh each morning!
Jeju Noodle Bar
I decided to do a random search for one-star Michelin restaurants near my hotel just to see if any popped up that fit within my budget (work per diem). I was really surprised to find Jeju Noodle Bar, a Korean restaurant lauded for its ramyun and sides/appetizers. My eyes widened when I saw the name because I’ve been dying to visit Jeju Island in Korea, which has been featured in a couple Korean dramas I’ve watched. I looked at the menu online and determined I could get a meal within my daily budget, so once my meetings for the day ended, I quickly called a rideshare to get to the restaurant before the dinner rush. I got a seat right away at the counter; this was counter dining experience 3 of 4 during my entire trip, whoa!
I wrestled with the thought of spending $25 on the toro ssam bap appetizer (I mean, it is the cost of a meal on its own), but in the end, I couldn’t resist! I had to try this fatty tuna seaweed wrap. Well, good choice Kat. The fatty tuna was served on top of seasoned rice, similar to an ahi tuna tower. You use the spoon to scoop some of it into pieces of roasted seaweed. It was so satisfying! If you’re hungry, you can easily finish off the entire appetizer yourself (like I did…or maybe I’m just a fatty!), otherwise I guess you could share it.
I had debated between the Gochu and So Ramyun the night before, so once I was seated I was able to order pretty quickly. I opted for the So Ramyun so that I could try their veal broth (the Gochu has a spicy broth) and because the “Soo Yuk” brisket sounded amazing too. I’m in LOVE with the creamy veal broth and the thick tender slices of brisket. See the egg in the dish? I LOVE it when restaurants get the boiled egg right in soup noodle dishes. I am SO glad I found Jeju Noodle Bar and was able to visit.
Spot Dessert Bar
You can’t visit NYC and not have dessert. Even though I was pretty full after each dinner, I made a point to seek out some must-eat desserts in the area. Luckily, Spot Dessert bar has a location in Koreatown, which was on my walk back to the hotel from one of my dinners. They’re located in a food court building. The first and second floors all housed multiple food vendors; Spot Dessert Bar is located on the second floor. The building was abuzz with diners during peak meal hour for dinner, so the communal tables were all pretty full. I was glad I was only eating dessert and that Spot Dessert Bar has a handful of designated tables in a fenced off area. I wouldn’t recommend dining at this food court with a group larger than four for the scarce seating at communal tables.
They have quite a few desserts on the menu and they all looked amazing, but unfortunately, I’m only one person. I had to choose one dessert…is it weird that I’m still a bit mad that I couldn’t order and try the whole menu?! Anyhow, I LOVE matcha, so I debated between the matcha lava (chocolate cake) and the matcha waterfall. I went with the matcha waterfall: soaked matcha cake filled with matcha custard, fresh whipped cream topped with matcha powder. I ordered a matcha latte too — it’s a wonder my pee wasn’t green from all the matcha I ingested (I know, I know, digestion processes it)! The cake was perfectly moist and the whipped cream and matcha custard, which was lava-like, gave the dessert the right amount of moisture.
Amorino Gelato
On one of my walks home, I happened upon Amorino Gelato. Despite how cold it was outside while walking to and from the restaurants, it wasn’t going to stop me from grabbing a frozen treat. I wanted something refreshing after dinner and gelato was perfect. Besides, I fell for the roses they make — how can you not? I’ve only received flowers twice before and I always get sad when they wilt and I have to throw them away. But a gelato rose? It’s beautiful to look at (it didn’t melt since it was winter) AND YOU CAN EAT IT! WIN!!
Have any recommendations for cities that are great for solo travel and great restaurants for solo diners? Let me know in the comments!
